How to Burglar Proof Your Windows
A home in the United States is burglarized every 10 seconds, according to Farmers Home Insurance. Crooks tend to hit when a home is unoccupied. That's why the majority of burglaries happen in broad daylight, when residents are at their jobs. Burglars look for easy targets. These include homes that have unlocked windows and doors. It also includes entry points that have weak locking mechanisms. You can help protect your family and your possessions by beefing up the windows on your home in a few ways. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Replacement locks
- Wood or broom handles
- Laminated film
- Metal bars
- Reinforced glass or Plexiglass
Instructions
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Inspect the locking devices on all the windows in your home. Replace non-working, worn, or faulty hardware. Add security to sliding windows by placing a length of wood or broom handle in each track. Close and lock all windows whenever you leave your home, even if for a short time.
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Install laminated film on your home's windows. The film will strengthen the glass and make it nearly impossible to break or shatter.
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Install metal bars on the windows to make them burglar-proof. Even if a crook manages to break the glass, he won't be able to get past the bars.
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Replace the glass in the windows with reinforced glass. Choose bullet-proof glass, glass that's reinforced with wire, tempered glass like that in autos, laminated glass that has a layer of plastic inside or Plexiglass, which is highly resistant to impact.
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Tips & Warnings
One window in each bedroom of your house must be able to be opened in case of fire or other emergency.
Never lock a window when it's in an "open" position and not completely closed. Partly open windows are easier to jimmy or otherwise break into.
The latches on double-hung windows are the easiest to jimmy open. Permanently screw windows that aren't used shut. Add security to windows that are used by drilling a sloped hole in the top of the bottom window. Drill through the bottom of the top window. Insert a long nail or pin into the hole.
Replace louver windows with solid glass or another type of window that allows ventilation.
References
- Photo Credit Polka Dot RF/Polka Dot/Getty Images
